Dare Me

Soon enough, her phone beeped again. This time she could clearly make out the tux and Cam. He looked gorgeous. The lapels on his tux were wide enough to fly him cross-country, but everything else was perfect.

“Yes?” he asked. “No?”

“Not sure about the lapels,” she told him, hoping there was an alternative.

“Okay. Stay right there. I’ll be right back.”

She wished she could see it all. Be there while he tried things on. But the fact that he was going to so much effort for her? All her doubts about inviting him had left the building and she no longer felt even a smidgen of guilt. He was the perfect escort, and she couldn’t wait for Friday. Only two more days to go.

She’d tried to convince him to meet her at the hotel, but he’d insisted on picking her up at her apartment.

“You there?” He was yelling again.

“Yes!”

“Hold on.”

The beep came and this time he’d posed like a movie star, turned slightly to the right, with his eyes looking directly into the camera. It took a few seconds for her to remember to check out the suit.

“Much better,” she said. “You look wonderful. Very handsome.”

“Yeah?” he asked, sounding pleased.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll take it,” he said. Then a moment later, “Molly? Thank you. I’m glad I called. Talk to you later, okay?”

She nodded. “More than okay.”

When her first student knocked, she was still holding her phone. Smiling.

* * *

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN dark by the time Cam arrived at Molly’s apartment. It felt weird to be decked out in his rented tux when it was still daylight as he walked from the cab to the entrance of the five-story building. There wasn’t a doorman, just an intercom. He pressed number 403 and she buzzed him in.

The lobby was nothing flashy, but it was clean, which was something in this part of New York. As the elevator rose, it occurred to him that he was nervous again. Why she brought out the teenager in him, he wasn’t sure. She wasn’t that much younger than he was. Jesus, he’d been dating for eighteen years. Not continuously. He’d had girlfriends, but the only one who had lasted had been Robin. They’d been together three years after meeting at MIT. Still, even fifteen years of dating seemed like a lot.

But right now Molly was the only person on his radar. It might be all about the sex, but he was also looking forward to spending time with her again.

Finally, the elevator made it to the fourth floor, and it was only a few steps to her door. He knocked, glad to see she had a peephole. There was some unpleasantly aggressive noise coming from an apartment down the hall.

Molly opened the door and he forgot all about the neighbors. “You look beautiful.”

She’d been worrying her lower lip, but at his words, she gave him a spectacular smile. “Thank you. I put this on and immediately hated it. I’ve changed four times, but I don’t have anything else nearly as nice. If you’d looked at me funny, I probably would have broken down in tears.”

He didn’t wait for an invitation. He just walked right in, took her hand and had her twirl around in her body-hugging white dress. It was strapless and deeply sexy. He’d thought of her as delicate, but that didn’t describe her now. Not with her thick hair pulled up, baring her long, pale neck, her lips full and pink, and the way the dress skimmed over her body like his hands ached to do. “So unnecessary,” he said. “The worry, I mean. You really look stunning.”

She blinked fast. Waved her hands in front of her eyes. “Don’t you dare make me cry. I went to Macy’s and had the manager of the cosmetics department put all this on.”

Well, there went his plans to kiss her until they both couldn’t breathe. “All this? What, mascara? Pink lipstick? You’re too pretty to cover your face with makeup.”

She sighed. “You couldn’t have given me a better compliment.”

He didn’t understand her reaction, but he wasn’t going to argue. “You ready? I’m not sure about the traffic from here.”

“I’ll get my bag.”

While she went to her bedside table, he glanced around the apartment. It was about half the size of his. Everything was in one room, except for the bathroom. Which must have just been a toilet and sink, because the bathtub was in what would have been called a kitchen, if someone felt generous. She could easily lean out from behind the circular shower curtain to pour herself a cup of coffee. The microwave was too small for a Hungry-Man dinner. The bed was going to be a tight fit later that night, and, weirdly, there were what looked like built-in storage cupboards above the headboard.

In addition, there was a dresser, a mirror, two chairs, a small table covered with books, a laptop and a stack of magazines. That was it. But she’d definitely made it her own. There were wine charts on the wall, maps of the different vineyards in France, Napa Valley and Italy, and a large whiteboard hanging near the bathroom. It had a more detailed schedule written on it, along with a to-do list. The other big item was a wine-cooler fridge, and that was plugged in next to the bed instead of the eating area. Ah, and how had he missed the wine rack on top of the dorm-sized refrigerator?

“I’m all set,” she said, holding a tiny red purse. “But first, may I say you look amazingly handsome in that tuxedo. I can’t thank you enough for being such a good sport about this.”

“Good sport, nothing. I’m looking forward to it. Especially now that I’m going to make every guy in the place jealous.”

She shook her head, leading his gaze to the stretch of bare skin from her chin to the tops of her breasts. The evening couldn’t go fast enough for him.

“Let’s go. I’ve got a thing about being on time.”

He bent at the waist and held out his hand. “I’m at your service.”

“Oh, you’re going to be a big hit with all the ladies tonight.”

He appreciated the compliment, but the only one he cared about impressing was her.

* * *

GETTING INTO THE TAXI in her dress wasn’t easy. She’d thought that perhaps Simone and Phillip would have sent a car, but she hadn’t heard a word from them. Which was fine. She was sure they’d surprise her with something special to mark the occasion, and that whatever it was would be perfect.

People from her building were standing on the stoop, staring at Cameron, mostly, but that wasn’t an issue. She barely knew any of her neighbors. Mrs. Waverley lived next door in 401, and they exchanged favors from time to time. Accepting a package, getting mail. One Christmas, she’d given Molly a loaf of her special-recipe banana bread.

Molly arranged her dress so it wouldn’t wrinkle too badly and tried to get comfortable, pleased that Cameron had held the cab, with the meter running, because the air-conditioning felt great. It would have sucked to arrive at the hotel drenched in sweat.

The ride was going to cost a fortune, though. She had enough room on her credit card to cover a number of catastrophes, everything from having to spend the night at the hotel to emergency clothing replacements. But she had the feeling Cam wouldn’t let her pay even half.

While he spoke to the driver, her discomfort reared its head again. Excited as she was to be given the award, she dreaded these social gatherings. They were never easy for her no matter what the circumstance. She opened her purse, which was just big enough to hold her folded notes, lipstick, key and money.

“All right?” Cam asked as he touched the back of her hand.

“Nervous. But I’ve got my speech in my purse.”

“Ah, I wondered if you’d have to give one.”

“I don’t mind. It’s mostly thank-you stuff. The magazine took a chance with me. One that’s made a big difference in my life. The wine world is big on accolades and prizes. I imagine it’s the same thing with beer.”

He nodded slowly, as if she’d said something he needed to consider. “Especially with craft beers. Yeah. But here’s something that’s been bothering me since you opened the door. That lipstick you’re wearing—is it difficult to put on?”

“Not particularly.”

“So it wouldn’t ruin anything if I kissed you? A lot? Perhaps all the way to the banquet?”

Molly smiled, feeling a bit of that giddiness he seemed to inspire, not sure if he was teasing or not. “I might need to breathe from time to time. Oh, and I wanted to fill you in on who’s going to be at our table—”

“Other than that?” he asked, his mouth so close, the scent of wintergreen made her want to taste him.

“Other than that, I don’t see any problem at—”

He stole the last word, but she didn’t mind. She’d wanted to kiss him, too, and would have if she hadn’t been so focused on getting out the door. Since their date, they’d spoken on the phone four times, and those conversations had fueled her libido way more than any of the men she’d actually been with.

Cam was being so careful, it made her heart swell. His palm was on the nape of her neck, his other hand on her waist, touching her lightly, as if she were made of spun glass.

“I’ve been thinking about kissing you since Sunday’s taxi ride,” he whispered, nuzzling her ear.

His lips moved down her neck, then lower still, to just above her bodice. His breath was warm and shivery, and she touched the back of his head to keep him right there, but when the taxi stopped for a red light, she let him go.

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